Robotic surgery system and surgical instrument

Abstract

A robotic surgery system includes a robot and an instrument assembly. The instrument assembly includes a drive unit with at least one rotary drive having an electric motor and a drive shaft that has a coupling part for coupling to a drive shaft of the instrument; an instrument including an instrument shaft and a drive shaft that has a coupling part for coupling to a drive shaft of the drive unit; and an instrument interface including a sheath that encompasses the drive unit. In order to detachably couple an instrument module to an instrument part of a surgical instrument, an electromagnet in a magnet assembly of the instrument module is activated or deactivated, a permanent magnet of said magnet assembly is moved into a locking position and/or an angular position of a coupled counter element assembly of the instrument part is detected by an angle sensor of the instrument module.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An instrument module for a robotic surgery system, comprising:
 a coupling element assembly including at least one coupling element for detachably coupling with a counter element assembly having at least one counter element for actuating an end effector of a surgical instrument; 
 the coupling element assembly configured to magnetically couple with the counter element assembly in at least two different rotational orientations about its own longitudinal rotation axis when coupled thereto; 
 wherein the longitudinal axes of the coupling element assembly and the counter element assembly are parallel; and 
 an angle sensor detecting an angular position of the counter element assembly relative to the coupling element assembly about its rotational axis when the counter element assembly is coupled thereto. 
 
     
     
       2. The instrument module of  claim 1 , wherein the angle sensor is a non-contact sensor. 
     
     
       3. The instrument module of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling element moves translationally and/or rotationally in order to actuate the end effector. 
     
     
       4. The instrument module of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling element comprises a magnetic assembly for magnetically coupling the counter element assembly with the coupling element assembly. 
     
     
       5. The instrument module of  claim 4 , wherein the magnetic assembly comprises at least one selectively energizable electromagnet. 
     
     
       6. The instrument module of  claim 4 , wherein the magnetic assembly comprises at least one permanent magnet. 
     
     
       7. The instrument module of  claim 6 , wherein the permanent magnet can be adjusted at the coupling element between a locked position and an unlocked position. 
     
     
       8. The instrument module of  claim 7 , wherein the permanent magnet can be adjusted by electromotive, hydraulic, pneumatic, and/or manual means between the locked and an unlocked positions. 
     
     
       9. The instrument module of  claim 4 , wherein the coupling element comprises a magnetically conductive section for coupling with the counter element assembly when the counter element assembly is coupled thereto. 
     
     
       10. The instrument module of  claim 9 , wherein the magnetically conductive section is operable to selectively magnetically impinge the counter element assembly when the counter element assembly is coupled thereto. 
     
     
       11. The instrument module of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a drive operable to actuate the coupling element assembly or an instrument shaft with an end effector that can be inserted into a patient, the end effector being actuated by the coupling element assembly. 
 
     
     
       12. A surgical instrument, comprising:
 an instrument module, the instrument module comprising:
 a coupling element assembly with at least one coupling element, and 
 an angle sensor detecting an angular position of a counter element assembly relative to the coupling element assembly; and 
 
 an instrument part, comprising:
 a counter element assembly detachably coupled with the coupling element assembly and including at least one counter element for actuating an end effector of a surgical instrument, 
 the counter element comprising at least one of: 
 a) a section that can be magnetically impinged for magnetically coupling the counter element with the coupling element, or 
 b) a torque-proof transmitter detectable by the angle sensor of the instrument module; 
 
 the coupling element assembly and the counter element assembly magnetically couplable with each other in at least two different rotational orientations about their longitudinal rotation axes, wherein the longitudinal axes of the coupling element assembly and the counter element assembly are parallel. 
 
     
     
       13. The surgical instrument of  claim 12 , wherein the coupling assembly and the counter element assembly can be connected in a form-fitting fashion. 
     
     
       14. The surgical instrument of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a sterile barrier arranged between the coupling element assembly and the counter element assembly. 
 
     
     
       15. The surgical instrument of  claim 14 , wherein the sterile barrier comprises a coupling part for coupling the counter element assembly to the coupling element assembly. 
     
     
       16. The surgical instrument of  claim 15 , wherein the coupling part is magnetically conductive for magnetically coupling the counter element assembly with the coupling element assembly. 
     
     
       17. The surgical instrument of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a guide supporting the coupling assembly and the counter element assembly such that there is freedom of movement between the coupling assembly and the counter element assembly. 
 
     
     
       18. A method for coupling an instrument module with at least one instrument part of a surgical instrument, the instrument module comprising a coupling element assembly with at least one coupling element and an angle sensor, the instrument part comprising a counter element assembly magnetically detachably couplable with the coupling element assembly in at least two rotational orientations about their longitudinal rotation axes, and including at least one counter element for actuating an end effector of a surgical instrument, wherein the longitudinal axes of the coupling element assembly and the counter element assembly are parallel, the method comprising at least one of:
 activating and deactivating an electromagnet of a magnetic assembly of the instrument module; 
 adjusting a permanent magnet of the magnetic assembly of the instrument module into a locked position; or 
 detecting an angular position of the coupled counter element assembly of the 
 instrument part with the angle sensor of the instrument module.